10 Things I Never Thought I’d Know

This summer marks my seventh (!!) year since becoming a “professional”, and I can definitely say that I have learned more in my career than I ever did as a student. Working in this industry, there are challenges and decisions to be made every day that test your instincts and your ability to strategize, plan, and execute effectively. And I love it.

While there are many lessons learned that seem obvious, such as never opening up a conversation with a reporter with “did you see my email?” or always making sure there is a plan with measurable goals in place, there are a number of things I have learned that I never in my wildest dreams thought I’d know.

Working at an agency like Zer0 to 5ive, we have the luxury of touching various companies each day, each with different challenges and audiences. As a result, we need to be well versed in their industries so we can pitch, write and plan intelligently.

Here are the top ten things I have learned in the past seven years that I never thought I’d know, but have helped me understand and pitch my clients effectively. Some are interesting, some are not, and one day, I may even use them outside of work…like when I am watching Jeopardy?

I hope you enjoy them, and I look forward to seeing your #11 in the comments.

The most hated industries in America are telecom, banking, and airlines

The number one stress among nurses is incivility

90% of deliveries made to an auto dealership are made at night

Staples is the 2nd largest Internet retailer (next to Amazon)

A trash container for business can cost up to $20,000 and is frequently stolen by other waste services companies

One in every 1,000 to 1,500 intra-abdominal surgeries results in a sponge left behind in a patient

The number of dollar bills currently in circulation in has risen by 42 percent since 2000

75 percent of all withdrawal transactions occur at the ATM; nearly 90 percent of deposit transactions still take place at the bank counter

The 131 million Americans who watch video on the Internet watch on average about 3 hours of video online each month at home and work

The largest growing segment of the population to be affected by HIV/AIDS is African American women and girls